Loose leaf binder



' April 11, 1939. J. o. DAVIS ET AL LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 15, 1938 17 1 0171 J17. fla

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOSE LEAF BINDER Application July 13, 1938, Serial No. 219,013

3 Claims.

Our invention provides an extremely simple and highly efiicient loose leaf book binder; and, generally stated, consists of the novel devices, combination of devices, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The binder is of such character that the leaves of the book may be readily applied to or removed from the binder; and by a very simple device, the leaves may be locked so that they cannot be removed, except by a person holding the key or actuating member of the lock device.

The binder can be utilized for a great many different purposes, but has been especially designed for binding together the loose leaves of large record books. The device involves a base bar or strip, preferably of metal, formed with a notched lock channel, combined with resilient segmental hooks and a lock pin. The segmental hooks, at one end, are attached to the base bar or strip and are provided at their free ends with eyes adapted to be inserted into the notches oi the lock channel. The lock pin is adapted to be inserted into the lock channel and through the eyes of the hooks. The loose leaves of the book are perforated so that they can be slipped onto or oiT from the hooks. The hooks are preferably of spring steel, such, for example, as is used for making clock springs, and they are adapted to be bent into substantially U-shaped formation when interlocked with the lock channel by the look pin.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows the binder applied to a book cover;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the irregular line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a position of one of the loose leaves;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the complete lock pin; and

Fig. 6 shows the lock pin on an enlarged scale with the head or key-acting member removed from the body of the pin.

The base bar or strip of the device is made from a strip of sheet metal II! bent at one edge to form a tubular lock channel II formed with longitudinally spaced notches I2. The notches I2 are entirely open at their inner sides, but are terminated short, at their extreme outer sides, so as to form curved stop shoulders I3.

Approximately U-shaped resilient or segmental lock hooks I4 are secured to the base strip It at one end and are provided at their free ends with curved or tubular eyelets I5. These hooks I4, as already indicated, are preferably of fiat spring steel or similar metal, and the attached ends of said hooks are shown as bent under and secured to the base bar I!) by suitable means such as rivets I6. As shown, these rivets I6 are also secured in position by auxiliary L-shaped light reinforcing springs I? that closely press the back or outer sides of the anchoring hooks. The eyelets I5 of the hooks are adapted to be set into the notches I2 of the anchoring channel, but are considerably less in diameter than the channel-forming portion II.

The hooks IA are of such normal spring tension that when their free ends are released from the shoulders I3, the will spread or spring out, as shown in Fig. 1, with a short of hinge action; but when the eyelets I5 are forced into alignment with the lock channel, the said eyelets will be held in alignment with the said lock channel and the hooks will be held against accidental spreading or opening movement by the frictional engagement between the said eyelets and the stop shoulders or portions I3. This serves to temporarily hold the lock hooks in position for lockmg.

The locking of the hooks to the base bar or strip is produced by inserting a long look pin I8 through the said lock channel and through the eyelets I5. This lock pin, at one end, is screwed into and detachably engaged with the reduced shank I9 of the actuating head or key 20.

Here it is important to note, see particularly Fig. 3, that the shank I9 is insertable into one end of the lock channel II, and when thus inserted, the lock pin I8 will be entirely within the lock channel and its pointed end will be forced against and stopped by a flattened or reduced portion I la of said lock channel.

It is now evident that when the lock pin is inserted into locking position, as shown in Fig. 3, the head or key 20 can be unscrewed from the lock pin, leaving the lock pin in its operating position where it cannot be withdrawn without the use of the applied head. This affords a very simple and eflicient lock for preventing tampering with the binder and removal of the secured leaves.

This improved binder is adapted to be secured to the back of a book cover or the like by any suitable means, as for example, by a rivet directly securing it to a facing 2|, adhesively or otherwise secured to the back portion of a book cover 22.

The loose leaf, indicated at 23,- is provided with elongated perforations 24 through which the hooks may be inserted. As is obvious, when the hooks are released, as is shown in Fig. l, the loose leaves may be readily applied to or removed from the binder.

When the lock pin is removed and the hooks are pressed slightly upward, they will spring into the position shown in Fig. 1. When the said hooks are forced downward to positions shown in Fig. 2, and before the lock pin is inserted, the eyelets l5, as already indicated, are held in proper alignment with the lock channel for the ready insertion of the lock pin.

It is also evident, by reference to Fig. 2, that the loose leaves may be readily turned from one side to the other of the binder, such movements being indicated by dotted lines showing some of the leaves in intermediate positions. The lock pin it is pointed so as to insure ready insertion of the same into the eyelets 15. These eyelets will not be in perfect axial alignment with the lock channel, and hence, when the pin is inserted, there will be sufficient friction applied to the lock pin to prevent its being rotated when the head is screwed onto or off from the same, while said pin is thus inserted.

In actual practice this loose leaf binder has been found highly efficient and satisfactory for the purposes had in view. It is believed that the form illustrated in the drawing is the best, but it will be understood that the device is capable of various modifications as to details of construction and arrangement of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What we claim is:

1. A loose leaf binder involving a base strip formed at one edge with a lock channel having to be aligned with said lock channel in the notches thereof, and a lock pin insertable through said lock channel and the eyelets of said hooks, said hooks being under normal spring tension to spring out of alignment with said lock channel, said base strip at the notches thereof adjacent the channel and the eyelets, and said hooks at their eyelets having co-operating stop elements that hold the eyelets and channel aligned and said hooks against outward springing action until manually released.

2. A loose leaf binder involving a base strip formed at one edge with a lock channel having longitudinally spaced notches, and resilient hooks secured to said base strip at one end and provided at their free ends with eyelets adapted to be aligned with said lock channel in the notches thereof, and a lock pin insertable through said lock channel and the eyelets of said hooks, said hooks being under normal spring tension to spring out of alignment with said lock channel, said lock channel in line with its notches having outstanding stop shoulders engageable with the free ends of said hooks to hold the eyelets thereof aligned with said lock channel.

3. A loose leaf binder involving a base strip formed at one edge with a lock channel having longitudinally spaced notches, and resilient hooks secured to said base strip at one end and provided at their free ends with eyelets adapted to be aligned with said lock channel in the notches thereof, and a lock pin insertable through said lock channel and the eyelets of said hooks, said hooks being under normal spring tension to spring out of alignment with said lock channel, said lock channel in line with its notches having outstanding stop shoulders engageable with the free ends of said hooks to hold the eyelets thereof aligned with said lock channel, said lock pin having a detachable head.

JOHN O. DAVIS. FRANK M. MARTIN. 

